Chapter Three: Inspiration

"It's simple: give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. The best way to help them is to lift them out of poverty. For instance, many impoverished mountain villages are in remote areas. Though they’re far away, these places are beautiful, pristine, and untouched by development. If I became a famous director, I would choose such regions as filming locations, even build various structures and turn them into film studios. If my film became a huge success, not only would the studio thrive, but it could also boost the local tourism industry. In that way..."

Wu Xiang hadn’t finished when a teacher interrupted him.

"Brilliant! That’s a genius idea! Though it might be difficult to implement, it’s absolutely a path worth exploring—a promising direction for development."

"Absolutely! It’s a wonderful idea—no one seems to have thought of it before."

"I never expected a young man like you to think this far ahead. It makes us feel our age."

At this time, Wu Xiang’s proposal to use a film studio to drive the local economy was truly novel. The Hengdian project was only just beginning, and no one could predict this trend. But Wu Xiang was different—he had been reborn from the future, and this concept was straightforward to him. Many regions developed this way; although some failed and lost money, many also succeeded in boosting the local economy.

Of course, actually putting this idea into practice would be difficult—transportation alone was a serious problem. But even having such a thought at this stage was remarkable.

By now, Wu Xiang was fairly certain of the outcome. He didn’t recognize these teachers, but he could guess that he would soon be getting to know them. The path for Literature majors was clear: you either became a screenwriter or engaged in theoretical research. But this interview had treated Wu Xiang like a director in the making. Not that he minded—becoming a director was exactly his goal now!

"Very good. Now it all depends on your college entrance exam results. Don’t let us down, all right?" The teachers exchanged knowing smiles. This was as good as telling Wu Xiang the result. That was the way of the Film Academy: when they spotted true talent, some teachers would even talk to you after the second round and suggest special admission, because the academic test—the college entrance exam—wasn’t easy.

Wu Xiang was no fool. He understood immediately and bowed with a smile, while the teachers looked on, clearly satisfied.

Wu Xiang knew he’d likely been accepted by the Film Academy. All that remained was the college entrance exam.

"How did it go, son?"

"It’s all right, son. Even if it didn’t go well this time, there will be other chances."

To his parents’ questions, Wu Xiang gave the same answer.

"It was fine, just fine."

What did "just fine" mean? Wu Xiang’s vague reply was because he hadn’t received the admission letter yet. Though he had passed this stage, even as someone reborn, he had no certainty about the college entrance exam. He didn’t want to raise his parents’ hopes for nothing.

But the exam was over and their son seemed in good spirits, so his parents figured the results couldn’t be too bad. The family decided to go out for a meal, a small celebration.

Where to celebrate? In Beijing, there were many famous restaurants—Quanjude or the Yanjing Hotel, for instance—but those places were expensive, and Wu Xiang couldn’t bear the cost.

Wu Xiang was from the northeast. At his age, his parents belonged to the generation who missed out on good times. They went to the countryside when they were young, were laid off in middle age, and after a lifetime in the factory, their health was poor, frequenting hospital pharmacies in their later years. Before being reborn, Wu Xiang regretted not caring more for his parents, especially at this stage of their lives.

Though the family could still manage to eat, their finances weren’t great. Luckily, Wu Xiang wanted to study literature or directing; had he chosen the highly competitive acting department, his family couldn’t have afforded it. The tuition alone—six thousand a year—would have been a burden, to say nothing of prep classes. Thankfully, the literature program cost only half as much. So Wu Xiang didn’t even consider a fancy restaurant. After a moment’s thought, he made his choice.

"Mom, Dad, let’s go to McDonald’s, all right?"

In 1997, McDonald’s and KFC were novelties. Unlike in later years, when everyone knew these were just fast-food chains, at this time McDonald’s was regarded as chic, upscale, and trendy.

"Son, you go order. You decide; we don’t know how any of this works."

"Yes, whatever you order is fine with us."

There was a McDonald’s not far from the Film Academy—clearly, they knew how to choose a good location. Wu Xiang’s parents felt awkward as soon as they entered; they weren’t used to such an environment.

His parents were still so unassuming—Wu Xiang felt a pang of sadness. Why hadn’t he noticed these things before?

He’d chosen McDonald’s because, for the moment, it was considered high-class but not too expensive. Yet he’d overlooked his parents’ tastes—a sign he was still a bit spoiled.

"From now on, Mom and Dad will live a good life—no matter what!" Wu Xiang silently vowed, taking the money his parents gave him to order.

"Three Big Mac meals—one with coffee, apple pies, milkshakes..." There wasn’t much to choose from; McDonald’s menu was limited.

But when Wu Xiang went to pick up the trays, he forgot to grab straws.

"Oh, excuse me." In his haste, he moved a bit too quickly and didn’t notice someone else reaching for the straws.

It was a slender hand, the skin pale and smooth. When Wu Xiang’s fingers brushed against it, he felt as if an electric current passed through his body.

He chided himself inwardly—how long had it been since he’d even seen a woman? Just a touch and he was flustered. How embarrassing!

"It’s all right," the woman said. Her voice startled Wu Xiang.

No, he wasn’t startled—he was staring at her. He looked closely, again and again, until he was sure: the woman before him was none other than the future star, Tang Wei!

"Is this the advantage of applying to the Film Academy? You can bump into celebrities just like that? Maybe I wasn’t so foolish after all..." Wu Xiang mused. But someone else was annoyed.

"How annoying!" Of course—how rude to stare at someone like that.

Wu Xiang, embarrassed, could only scratch his nose and carry the food back to his table.

It was a great opportunity—why not introduce himself to a future star? But Wu Xiang had no such intention. He reasoned: if Tang Wei was here, she was probably applying to the Film Academy as well. But as far as he remembered, Tang Wei attended the Central Academy of Drama, enrolling in 2000. That meant she might not have done well this year. Approaching her now would be foolish—especially with his parents present. There was no need to embarrass himself.

At that moment, Wu Xiang wasn’t dwelling on missing the chance to meet a future star. Instead, his mind was turning over something else—something that might just change his life.

McDonald’s, a beautiful woman, a chance encounter—there was a strange sense of destiny in this. Wu Xiang’s thoughts drifted to a novel he had once loved, a book that became a classic of its generation. The most important thing was—it hadn’t been published yet!

"Son, what are you thinking about?" His mother noticed his absent-mindedness.

"Nothing, Mom, Dad. I just think we might not have enough food. I’ll go buy another Big Mac." With that, Wu Xiang got up to order again.

"What’s wrong with the boy? He never used to eat so much."

"What’s wrong with a good appetite? I think it’s great—he’s grown up after taking the entrance exam."

Smiles appeared on his parents’ faces. Even the burgers didn’t taste quite so strange anymore.